QRP to the ISS

frequency of the ISS digipeater. The lengths of

the elements from the calculator came out a bit
longer than the design published by WB2HOL.
I decided to cut mine to this length knowing
that I could trim them down if needed. After
Contacting the International Space Station with assembly I used an MFJ-259B antenna ana-
lyzer to tune it to an optimum SWR.
a few watts and a shoestring budget antenna. My original length of the director element
was set at the original spec of 12.5 inches.
My SWR measured 6.8 as constructed. I
Doug Cook, KD5PDN maneuvered the driven elements closer and
the SWR lowered just a little (see Figure 1). I
From work-sat.com - reprinted with permission of the ARRL. next varied the forward director element until

T 
here’s a Kenwood TM-D700A trans- it reached the best SWR reading at 1.0. This
ceiver traveling 4.3 miles every second ended up about 4.5 inches from the driven ele-
as it dashes across the sky 240 miles  ment — a lot shorter than the original plan’s
above our antennas. This D700A is specified 12.5 inches or even the Yagi calcu-
the Amateur Radio station aboard the lator result. The distance from the driven ele-
International Space Station (ISS), which zips ment to the reflector remained unchanged at 
around the Earth every 90 minutes. 8 inches as the design specified. I didn’t seem
This radio serves several roles. It can be to get much change in varying this distance. I
used to contact schoolchildren during fly- trusted the readings from the analyzer so I fin-
overs. Astronauts can talk with students using ished the assembly. The nice thing about PVC
Amateur Radio equipment set up in the class- pipe is that you can easily adjust and cut a new
room by a local volunteer. Astronauts can also piece if you have to change it later.
call down and talk to operators in their spare My total cost was about $15 including
time — many have ham licenses themselves. hardware. I used a spare length of RG-174A
Finally, it could serve as a backup communi- cabling with an SMA male connector so it
cations method should the multimillion-dollar would hook up to my VX-8.
space communications system falter.
It’s usually operating 24/7. This radio has Enhancements for Ease of Use
a function known as a digipeater. Amateur The tape measure antenna is designed for
Radio operators can send packets of data to handheld use. However, I wanted to record
it and the ISS will retransmit it back to Earth. the audio and video of the encounter and
It’s like text messaging or SMS — informa- desired an assembly that could mount to a
tion is being exchanged. We call it APRS common camera tripod so my hands would
(Automatic Packet Reporting System) and Figure 1 — The director elements be free. I fabricated a steel slotted bracket
can be moved closer in or out to
it’s useful for distributing real-time reports of optimize the SWR a little. Don’t let
bought at a hardware store to attach the
information. them touch. antenna assembly to my radio (see Figure 2).
An FM transmitter with packet capa- I bent the steel bracket into an L-shape. At the
bilities, a terminal node controller (TNC), far end of the L I attached a camcorder so it
50 W of power and an omnidirectional whip could record the audio output and video the
antenna should allow ISS contacts. I discov- radio display as well as act as a counterweight
ered how to use my Kenwood TM-D710A for the antenna assembly. The camcorder was
transceiver to make contacts in this manner. attached with a standard 1⁄4 inch bolt trimmed
A search on the Internet will locate websites to securely mate the bracket to the existing
and several YouTube videos that show how to camera’s tripod mount.
set up this radio. A second smaller L bracket was made
My Yaesu VX-8R had APRS capabilities and attached to the larger L bracket by wing
thanks to its built in packet modem. These nuts and bolts. This bracket holds the VX-8,
radios are handy on the ground for com- which itself attaches by its belt clip. The
munications, but 5 W to the omnidirectional whole assembly attaches to a traditional cam-
flexible antenna probably would not reach era tripod secured by a 1⁄4 inch wing nut. This
the ISS in most attempts even under ideal attachment point is its balance point and the
conditions. We need to get 5 W of power to antenna can be aimed with one hand after
an orbiting station traveling at 17,000 MPH. Figure 2 — This is a close-up view of the adjusting your tripod’s positioning levers
A beam antenna can best fill this role. Yaesu VX-8R and camcorder assembly. to offer just enough resistance to keep the
A beam antenna can take most of the antenna aimed without drifting (see Figure 3).
radio’s output energy and focus it in one direc-
tion. I decided to build a tape measure antenna Tape Measure Antenna Planning for Flyovers
since its cost is minimal and it requires only I began my antenna using the design on Amsat.org offers prediction services
basic crafting skills. The tape measure antenna Joe Leggio’s, WB2HOL, website (theleggios. but I chose to use heavens-above.com to
is a modified Yagi design with elements made net). I also consulted a Yagi antenna calcula- discover upcoming ISS flyover opportuni-
of the metal blade from a tape measure, cut to tor on James Stewart’s, N3DNO, website (bfn. ties. This online utility can project both
a specific frequency and positioned to create a org/~bn589/antenna.html). I wanted my visible passes and all passes. I chose “all
focused radiation pattern. antenna optimized for 145.825 MHz — the passes” to increase the number of opportu-
68    February 2012 ARRL – The National Association for Amateur Radio www.arrl.org   
nities. If you find a “visible pass” it will be
easy to keep your antenna pointed accurately,
but passes will be less frequent (see Fig-  the antenna with a washer
ure 4). The predictions plot the opening time
of the expected flyover window, the mini-
mum angle compass bearing from your posi-
tion at the beginning, the maximum elevation
and the bearing at the end of the flyover. A
hardcopy and a synchronized watch are the
only tools you’ll need to help aim the antenna
in the proper position at the correct time.
Once you start hearing the ISS signal, your
transceiver’s S meter and audio output will
offer cues toward aiming.
You can also use NASA’s online app
(spaceflight1.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings)
to predict overflights. The NASA predictor
may be more up to date if maneuvers are
underway before the satellite elements data
gets updated on other online resources.
Satscape (free) is a very good Java appli-
cation that can be used with Windows, Mac
and Linux. Windows software includes NOVA
for Windows ($59.95). Mac users can con-
sider MacDoppler ($98). In addition to pre-
diction, NOVA and MacDoppler can control
automated systems for antenna rotators.
For smartphone and tablet users other
programs I find useful are ProSatHD ($9.99
for iOS ) and PocketSat3 ($24.99 for iOS
or Android). I use ProSatHD more often. It
offers an updated display of the satellite in
its current position. This software provides  Radio Setup
a real-time position of your target along  Whether you are a novice or an
with a circle of its horizon to let you know
when the satellite is nearly in position to
make contact. It offers an overflight plot  Yaesu VX-8 series. Guides exist
that can assist in planning your antenna tra-
jectory for your hand tracking and offers real-
time elevation data to determine the antenna’s
angle of elevation for best reception. You will
want to update the database before leaving for
a remote location so you have the most recent
and accurate satellite position data elements.
The program also offers calculations to
estimate the effects of the Doppler shift of
the frequency as it approaches and recedes.
I found that adjusting my frequency was
not necessary in any of my attempts in the
2 meter band but 70 cm band operations
often do require adjusting for the effect since
Doppler shifting is more pronounced there.
Finally, it pays to see if the digipeater is
turned on. Websites such as the ISS Fan Club
at www.issfanclub.com will have reports on
the status of the ISS’s Amateur Radio sta-
tion. The website ariss.net displays the latest
APRS beacon information, or you can look at
the Twitter feed twitter.com/RS0ISS to get
the latest update. This can avoid the disap-
pointment of waking up in the middle of the
night only to find the station’s radio is off.
Beaconing or Messaging
The APRS functions of the built-in
modem and TNC include transmitting and
Figure 3 — This is how the
setup looks ready for action.
A protractor is mounted below
on a string to “display” the
elevation angle. On the left are
the handheld transceiver and
the camcorder attached to a
homebrew mounting bracket.
The whole assembly is being
held on a standard photo tripod.
receiving both beacons and messages.
For your first ISS flyover, I recommend
using the beacon function. Radios with
APRS beacon functions let you set up
a message to be included with your
beacon. For the VX-8 this setting is
labeled BEACON STATS TXT. Once you
are more familiar with using your radio
for beaconing, you can explore mes-
sage sending.
Elmer, there is a learning curve with
sophisticated transceivers like the
on the Internet to help users set up
specific models. The VX-8 can be Figure 4 — I took this image on August 10, 2011
programmed to provide position from my backyard. In the foreground my tape-
information and call sign. It also has measure antenna is set up in position to make
customizable beacon settings and alert contact with the digipeater on the International
Space Station, which is traversing the sky
features that can be activated upon leaving a trail in the exposure.
receipt of messages and beacons. See
the sidebar for VX-8 links.
signal attempts coming in for a minute or
The Encounter more before your radio will give you an indi-
I set up my antenna at about a 10° eleva- cation that it is receiving good data.
tion and free from obstructions in preparation Keeping your APRS MUTE settings OFF
for encounters. I found my antenna design is required for the Yaesu VX-8 family to
does not require absolute laser precision allow you to hear the first signal coming in,
in keeping the antenna aimed, but the best but do not turn your squelch to zero as you
results occur if you can aim by following might for voice contacts. If you hear the
a printout or program display that predicts signal degrading audibly it may be time to
the elevation with time. For handheld use, reorient the antenna. Some radios have musi-
it’s easy to aim. With the bracket I have a cal note pattern tones that give feedback on
counterbalanced assembly adapted for one- good acknowledgments and fully received
handed operation. data for beacons, data and your position. I
I adjust the antenna about once every recommend keeping radio settings for audio
15-30 seconds. Adjustments occur more feedback turned on if equipped. Beacons can
often when the ISS is near overhead. The be sent manually to minimize interference to
packet data is broadcast in brief pulses that other stations transmitting.
lasts about 1⁄2 second. The sound of an APRS
transmission is similar to the handshaking Results
sounds that occur at the beginning of a tele- With my antenna aimed properly I com-
phone modem connection. You will hear the monly hear transmissions when the ISS is
QST – Devoted Entirely to Amateur Radio www.arrl.org February 2012    69
 NASA
more than 1000 miles away. Almost all of
these signals are not strong enough for the
modem/TNC to interpret and log. Signals
robust enough to be decodable began when
the ISS was 600-300 miles away during my
tests with the antenna I built (see Figure 5). I
have seen valid beacons in my log from as far
as 1000 miles away on a few occasions.
You should expect an average operating
window of about 4 minutes during the best
passes (2 minutes advancing plus 2 minutes
receding on near overhead encounters). I
would get an acknowledgment about 40% of
the time with my beacon transmissions during
this window. Reasons for not having 100%
response probably include local pileups of
the ISS receiving packet signals from other
sources — especially if others are using more
powerful transmitters. It’s also possible the
return packet acknowledgments are not being Figure 5 — The International Space Station is featured in this image
received because of the same interference. The photographed by an STS-133 crew member on space shuttle Discovery
after the station and shuttle began their post-undocking separation.
farthest I have sent a packet to get an acknowl-
edgment was 700 miles with my 5 W radio. As
the ISS wanders away from you, signals will,
of course, become more difficult to decode.
When your ISS encounter is over, you can Additional Information
review the APRS beacon data and messages Doug’s YouTube video of an ISS encounter with tips on using a Yaesu VX-8R
logged in the radio’s station listing and APRS can be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdS3EqRooN8. Other online
message log. You can review this during your resources helpful for amateur satellite information:
encounter, but it may be difficult to press but- www.work-sat.com — probably the best website; updated frequently with tips
tons while aiming. for working satellites with your handheld transceiver
On my radio’s station listing, I found amsat.org — for any Amateur Radio satellite information
the ISS call sign at the time of this writing issfanclub.com — for ISS information and current status of its Amateur Radio
as RS0ISS-3. Its APRS icon appeared as an from user submitted reports.
airplane. There were no GPS coordinates arissat1.com — for information on the ISS-launched ARISSat-1 satellite
and it reported no course or altitude. Its www.worldwidedx.com/satellites-space-communication-topics —
position comment appeared as IN SERVICE. discussion forum
The BEACON STATS TXT on its beacon said groups.yahoo.com/group/VX_8R — advice on the Yaesu VX-8R radio
Atlantis&Nicole heading home. This informa-
tion may sit for months on the ISS radio with-
out attention, or could be updated at any time.
You can also look at ARISS.net or APRS. send messages via a computer. AGW Packet sistence you too can work the satellites.
fi to see if your beacon made it to a ground Engine (also freeware) allows a PC to com- I would like to acknowledge the follow-
station, which forwarded the information to municate to the radio connected by a serial ing hams for their help in preparing this
the Internet. Not all beacons make it to the cable. article: Lisa Cook, KD5PJM; Bob Bruninga,
Internet, so don’t be disappointed if you don’t You can include a message of a few char- WB4APR; Clint Bradford, K6LCS; Larry
see yours. It’s also possible for your beacon to acters with your beacon by setting it up on Holden, W5MPA; Oscar Staudt, WB5GCX;
make it to one site but not the other. Obviously, your radio. This function may be labeled as Clayton Coleman, W5PFG; Erwin van der
if your own call sign appears in your TNC’s STATUS TEXT or BEACON STATS TXT in your Haar, PA3EFR; Fred Piering, WD9HNU;
“head list,” that’s proof you were successful. settings. Once you are more familiar with Scott Patterson, KC9TVK, and Andy
reliably working your radio for beaconing, Cunningham, MØHAK.
Messaging you can explore message sending.
Messaging is the second APRS func- Photos by Doug Cook, KD5PDN,
Astro Chats except as noted.
tion apart from beaconing that was used
on that first flyover. Handheld transceivers Now that you have APRS accomplished, Dr Doug Cook, KD5PDN, an ARRL
and mobile radios with APRS functions you can try voice contacts with the same gear. member, works as an optometric physician in
can store messages received from others for On rare occasions you may be lucky to hear Guthrie, Oklahoma. He has been licensed
since 2001 and is active in Scouting as well
later review. Reading then composing a mes- 145.800 MHz frequency activity. Astronauts
as Amateur Radio. He can be reached at
sage on the fly with just your radio keypad use this frequency to chat with other ham 217 Mockingbird Rd, Guthrie, OK 73044,
is cumbersome during passes. Many hams operators in their off-duty time or, more com- twoeyedox@gmail.com
attach a computer to send and receive APRS monly, engaged in the middle of a scheduled
messages. This allows less awkward message contact with schoolchildren on the ground.
composition during the limited time window. It surprises me that a small handheld
UISS for Windows is a freeware program that transceiver and a handheld antenna with such
allows you to turn off the radio’s APRS func- small amounts of power can work the ISS.
tion while leaving its TNC on to review and With a little crafting, a little reading and per-
70    February 2012 ARRL – The National Association for Amateur Radio www.arrl.org